Having used Distort crashes CS4 when trying to open additional files

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

I have a strange problem that I've started experiencing since upgrading my PC. I was previously running CS4 and Lightroom 2 without problems on Windows XP Pro 32 bit - I recently upgraded to new hardware and Windows Vista 64 bit so that I could use more RAM as I was regularly receiving running out of RAM messages when working on large print resolution files.

My current setup is:

P6T Motherboard
Intel Core i7 CPU 2.67 GHz
12 GB RAM
Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit
NVIDIA GeForce 880 GTS video card
One entire physical disk (70 GBs) solely as a scratch disk
More than half of C drive free
Other disks with free space in scratch disk list

I have narrowed it down to a specific activity:

1) From Lightroom I choose 'Edit in Photoshop' (a RAW file) I could open more than one file at this point, no problem yet
2) Once a file or files are opened I choose to implement a Distort/Twirl (I have a very specific reason for using this command, developing elements for other creative works)
3) Having performed a Twirl distortion, I then choose to open another RAW file from Lightroom, choose Edit in Photoshop - Photoshop then just hangs, without opening the file and I see the message that it has stopped responding. I then have to forcibly end Photoshop and reopen it
4) This still occurs if from Lightroom, I choose 'Show in Explorer' and then try to open the RAW file by itself, Photoshop stops responding

I seem to get very good performance on other things I've tried. For example, choosing 22 files with varying focal lengths to Merge to Panorama in Photoshop - goes without a hitch.... Again it seems specifically linked to having performed the distort effect. Also tried Distort/Wave and the same occurred, stopped responding when trying to open another file.

Have deleted prefs files, reinstalled Lightroom etc, turned off Open GL, twiddled with the cache and RAM levels etc... still the same.

Any ideas?
Can anyone replicate this?

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

By the way, I have the latest video card drivers, and Windows Vista Service Pack 1...

[Chri...@adobeforums.com]

Does Photoshop hang or crash? Those are 2 very different things!

This sounds like an interaction problem with Lightroom - somehow the interapp communication is hanging.

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

It hangs.... That is the application window stays up, but nothing further happens and the top information bar says the application is not responding. I don't think it has anything to do with Lightroom...

I have narrowed this problem down to being specifically related to the 64 bit version of CS4 Photoshop Extended. I have tested the same procedure in 32 bit Photoshop without incident.

I have to say this is pretty distressing as the procedure I am trying to carry out is at the heart of my original motivation to take the plunge and do the whole 64 bit upgrade, particularly being able to access all the RAM I now have. Using the 32 bit version in many ways plunges me back to where I started... :-(

I have spent the whole of today uninstalling the whole Creative Suite, running the cleaning utilites etc, reinstalling, uninstalling (many, many times with various problems with the installation process) and still have the same problem (although now, I cannot install Acrobat Pro, the installation fails - but that's another issue). I currently have Lightroom2 uninstalled and am experiencing the exact same problem.

This is it in a nutshell:

1) Open any RAW file in Photoshop 64 bit (I am opening.RAF files)
2) Apply a Distort/Twirl to it
3) TRY to open another RAW file

At this point, the file will not open and Photoshop will stop responding - requiring a forcible shut down and the loss of any unsaved work

[John Joslin]

What version of ACR is it?

You might get an lead in the ACR forum.

<http://www.adobeforums.com/webx?13@@.3bb6a85c>

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

Currently I have version 5 installed (haven't performed the updates again yet). I did have 5.2 when I first started noticing the problem and even tried the Beta of 5.3... So the version doesn't seem to change the circumstances.

I will have a read over in the ACR forums. Am feeling incredibly frustrated and desperate not being able to install Acrobat Pro at the moment - have lost count of the number of attempts now...

[Geoff_K...@adobeforums.com]

Melody, have you tried opening your raw files from Bridge instead of Lightroom? This could show if the fault is with Lightroom or PS.

Also, what happens if, after applying the twirl, you save the file as a psd before opening another raw file?

Geoff.

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

1)It doesn't seem to matter where I open the RAW file from. I can try to open it from within Photoshop itself, from Bridge, from an Explorer window - as long as I have applied a distort/twirl, Photoshop will hang. Even if I perform some other actions after the twirl, like a free transform or something... I can leave Lightroom completely out of the equation altogether and the problem occurs.

2) When opening the second file from Bridge, the focus will switch to the Photoshop window, I get the Vista timer (spinning donut) and it hangs, Not Responding.

3) Saving the file as a PSD after the twirl and before trying to opening a second file produces the fault also.

4) I tried opening JPG and TIFF as the second file:

a) If in Preferences, Camera Raw Preferences, the JPEG and TIFF Handling is set to automatically open JPEGs with settings, I can successfully open a JPG after the twirl is performed

b) If the Camera RAW preference is set to Automatically open all supported JPEGs, Photoshop hangs trying to open the second file

c) If in Preferences, Camera Raw Preferences, the JPEG and TIFF Handling is set to automatically open TIFFs with settings, I can successfully open a TIFF after the twirl is performed

d) If the Camera RAW preference is set to Automatically open all supported TIFFs, Photoshop hangs trying to open the second file

Sounds a little bit like the 64 bit versions of ACR is the issue?

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

After three days of hell trying to reinstall the Creative Suite (Acrobat being the bugbear), talks with tech support, attempts to manually remove Acrobat etc etc, I finally felt it was a better use of my time to clean install Vista Ultimate 64 and start over. I completed Windows updates, installed my email client and then installed the entire Creative Suite 4. Nothing else on the machine at this point.

On the very first opening of Photoshop CS4 64 bit, I have replicated the problem described above - having performed a distort/twirl, trying to open a second RAW file causes Photoshop to stop responding and it has to be forcibly closed.

[Chri...@adobeforums.com]

It could be ACR, it could also be something with the distorts - we'll have to take a look.

(and is anybody else choking back jokes about the Flash Gordon movie?)

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Chris, I look forward to any feedback you may have on this issue...

- "(and is anybody else choking back jokes about the Flash Gordon movie?)"

I know, I know.... I've already been through all that on this forum a year or two ago... Would you like an autograph?

[Chri...@adobeforums.com]

Oh, did I forget an old discussion (or miss one while I was busy)?

Let's see: somewhere I've got that soundtrack on vinyl.... :-)

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

Is this any help? From the Problem Reporting area in Vista Control Panel:

Product
Adobe Photoshop CS4

Problem
Stopped responding and was closed

Date
3/02/2009 11:45 p.m.

Status
Not Reported

Description
A problem caused this program to stop interacting with Windows.

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: AppHangB1
Application Name: Photoshop.exe
Application Version: 11.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 48d3882e
Hang Signature: a3cc
Hang Type: 0
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1
Locale ID: 5129
Additional Hang Signature 1: b7a069bcef3ca014563952ec2ead1880
Additional Hang Signature 2: bbe8
Additional Hang Signature 3: 4bfe6a2e008b439342c63ea2cb8f6ecb
Additional Hang Signature 4: a3cc
Additional Hang Signature 5: b7a069bcef3ca014563952ec2ead1880
Additional Hang Signature 6: bbe8
Additional Hang Signature 7: 4bfe6a2e008b439342c63ea2cb8f6ecb

[Chri...@adobeforums.com]

Unfortunately, no - it doesn't really help.

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

Have you actually been able to replicate this Chris?

[Chri...@adobeforums.com]

Nope, we haven't been able to reproduce it.

It might still be related to something we have a fix for, but since we can't reproduce it we can't be sure.

[Melody_...@adobeforums.com]

You mean that you are working on a fix for something else which may, when released, coincidentally have an impact on this problem?